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Due to the promise Imade to myself and to Laura, we hadn’tseen each other until the following Saturday at the brunch Erin and Thomas invited us to. That week, unlike the two weeks of no contact, Laura had occupied my mind. Alot.
More than once during that week, Ipicked up my phone, clicked on her name in the messages app, and clickedbackwith the same speed. She had apull on me, one Ifought hard against, if my lunchtime boners were of any indication.
Iput them down and tucked away my need for her. Someone had to protect her, even if she wouldn’tadmit it to herself, and Idid it in the one way Icould, by keeping my distance.
But after aweek, as our brunch neared, Iwasn’table to subdue my needs anymore. The need to see her laugh, to run my hand on her bare waist, to have any part of her in my mouth. In the most primal way describable Ineeded her, and if she’dlook even remotely close to being recuperated, I’dask to see her tonight too.
This decision filled me with anticipation to see her when Iwoke up that Saturday morning, stretching my limbs and watching Boston’sskyline as the sun rose from my apartment on the thirty-sixth floor.
Idrank my coffee, pacing back and forth from my oak hardwood floor to the vast Persian rug, around the kitchen island and back to the windows. With afew free hours and tons of unspent energy to burn, Iput on my gym clothes and apair of sneakers and went down the elevators to the building’sfitness center. The grueling two-hour workout that consisted of running and lifting weights burned some of that energy, but not nearly enough.
Not even the cold shower, not even flipping through Netflix’swide range of true-crime docuseries. My fingers tapped on the gray sofa as Ilay there in my blue slacks and white T-shirt, impatient and restless. The second the clock showed it was time to leave, Iscrambled to my feet, picked up the gift-laden bags for the twins that Ireceived in the mail, and texted Laura that Elvis had left the building.
The sun shone brightly when Ireached her house, and Ihopped out of the car to take the four huge bags she carried. “Are you trying to out-gift me?”
“Please, don’tflatter yourself.” She wore her long hair loose, flipping it back once her hands were free. “It’snot like Ihad you in mind when Iwent shopping the other day.”
Ipiled the bags alongside mine in the back seat and entered the front of the car with Laura already inside. “Are you sure?” Iskimmed her thigh from under her dark orange dress. “Because Ihave avery clear memory of this”—Irubbed the outside of her panties in smooth circles—“waiting for me not too long after.”
Her thighs squeezed together and her hand grabbed mine, her face showing no sign of the warmth that emanated through the thin cotton fabric. “You can’tdo this here.”
“Why?” Imoved my palm on her thigh, unable to fully let go.
“Because this is my neighborhood, in broad daylight.” Laura pulled her lips between her teeth, her eyes instantly hooded. She moved my hand from her thigh and placed it firmly on the steering wheel. “We talked about it. We can’tbe seen touching each other in public, especially not after what happened with Thomas.”
Igroaned at the unfairness of the universe. Until Ifinally saw her smiling face, and was not eaten up by the guilt of keeping her up when she should be sleeping, Icouldn’ttouch her.
She turned to me, her smile returning to her freckled cheeks. “Let’smeet sometime later this week.”
“Yes,” Ianswered too quickly, taking off on our short ride. “But don’tblame me if Ican’thold myself back when no one’swatching today.”
“Zach!” She chuckled. “Ican’tdeal with you.”
“Just giving you aheads-up.” Isneaked aglance to the side and saw her shaking her head.
We passed the rest of the five-minute drive quietly, until we reached the Cookes’ house.
“Girl, your face is flushed. Is it that hot outside?” Erin asked her as soon as we walked in the door.
Laura made apoint of not looking at me, the crimson on her cheeks shining brighter. “Yeah, you know my heat intolerance.”
Erin, as short as she was with her long, brown hair pulled into amessy bun, looked as intimidating as an FBI detective from the movies. She crossed her arms over her midriff and stared at Laura, whose high-pitched voice put her directly on Erin’sspecial agent radar.
Taking it upon myself to save the day, Ilowered the heavy bags to the floor and stalked to where the twins were. They crawled on the playmat in the middle of the living room, and Ihollered as Iapproached them, “How are my two favorite kids doing?”
The girls followed behind me, setting aside their nonverbal interrogation. Erin crouched next to me, and the twins crawled straight to their momma, toppling and giggling at her feet.
“They don’trecognize me,” Itold her, keeping my tone light despite the heaviness that clouded me. My best attempts at being their uncle summed up to nothing when Ihardly came around to visit them.
Erin sat cross-legged, rubbing their heads as they tried to climb her. “They didn’tforget, they just really, really love their mom.”
“Mister Rowan, maybe you’ve forgotten about me, but Idefinitely did not forget about you.” Igrabbed Rowan’ships, lifted him in the air and circled him around the room. His happy baby noises echoed in the house as Iwalked him through the entryway to the dining area, leaving Erin and Laura with Violet.
Scents of baked goods filtered from the kitchen to the dining area, where Iwatched Thomas with his messy man bun that looked startlingly like his wife’stoday, setting the final piece of today’sbrunch on the table, Erin’sfavorite red velvet cake.
“When did you wake up for all of this? Four in the morning? Or did you even go to sleep last night?” Imarveled at the pancakes, muffins, and other pastries.
“You’dbe amazed at how fast you learn to work when all Iwant to do is spend time with these two.” Asmall smile broke through Thomas’sexpression while he worked on setting the silverware around the plates. Iliked having this back and forth with him, talk that had grown considerably ever since he met Erin.
